Friday Friends - DUSTy Divas - Tractorgirl

Happy Friday everyone! It's nearly time for Summer Street Fair, you can check out the facebook page here to see all the details - photos of lovely things that the Summer Street Fair Elves have been busy making, plus opening times and dates. The Summer Street Fair opening night is next Thursday night (29th November 2012) and Maddabling would love to see you there! Buy handmade this festive season, give a gift made with love. 

This week I am thrilled to share with you another wonderful maker, DUSTy Diva and Australian Artist - meet Julie from Tractorgirl.

Julie quite simply makes lovely things. From Homewares to unique jewellery, there is no end to her talents. Here are some favourite things that I found while snooping around the Tractorgirl store. 

This cushion/pillow,"Bohemian Byzantine" in vintage cotton prints looks a tad too comfortable don't you think? Perfect for lazy summer days..

Simple but truly elegant, I am loving this Flower brooch in gold, anodised aluminium and sterling silver

and last but not least, for the crafty folk out there, a perfect gift in the form of a PDF Tutorial for this gorgeous Fleur de lis cushion cover.

Dear readers, time to make yourselves comfortable, perhaps put your feet up with a nice cup of tea and enjoy The Terrific Tale of Tractorgirl. See you all again soon - have a fab weekend everyone xo 

The  Terrific  Tale  of  Tractorgirl

My partner and I live on a farm, with cereal cropping and sheep, near Wagga Wagga, NSW. We moved here about 17 years ago and love it, despite the hardships that come with unreliable weather and variable income. We have three small children (8, and twins 6). It’s a great adventure for them, they love going and checking the stock and crops with their dad, and it’s nice having so much space for them to run around in.

So why tractorgirl? – because I can drive a tractor, of course!

I make homewares and accessories from vintage and upcycled fabrics. You will at times also find some precious metal items in my shop - I studied jewellery and silversmithing at Uni, and I love it. However, with small children around, it has been difficult to do, so I sew.

I always try to be gentle on the earth, and use upcycled components somewhere in all my pieces. For me, upcycling refers to fabrics that are remnants from old projects and other sources, and from clothing, homewares and remnants found in op shops. This saves it from going to landfill, and besides, some things are too beautiful to throw out!

My aesthetic loves are texture, pattern, and colour, and I think this shows in my work. I’m a bit of a bower-bird, so anything and everything is a possible source of inspiration. I’m always inspired by the beauty in the everyday, and especially in the forms and the way of nature. Also, because of my Fine Arts background, I have a large aesthetic resource to draw on - for instance, I use classic motifs from various time frames and cultures for some of my designs.

Right from when I was little, I have always felt compelled to make something somehow, and it didn’t seem to matter too much what type of medium – drawing, textiles, then linocuts, and metal.  

I have been selling things now and then ever since I finished Uni, but have always had a ‘proper’ job to provide my main income. Now, however, I’m a stay-at-home mother, and consequently I have become much more involved in selling my work. Lately though, a large chunk of my time has been devoted to my blog http://tractorgirl.com.au. In it you’ll find all the things that I love – contemporary craft, surface design, photography, books, and food.

I originally started the blog simply as a way to share the things I like, but it is growing into more than that – I see it as a bridge between Fine Arts-driven craft and design, and everyday beautiful things that we all use and appreciate. I intend to build it up to become a useful resource for both formal and informal students of art and design - I trained as a teacher in that field and taught for several years at Uni and in high school, and I guess I can’t help myself. I can see all the benefits that art and design can bring, and just have to share!

Readers do you want more ? Here is how you can connect with Tractorgirl!

Follow the Tractorgirl blog here: http://tractorgirl.com.au

Buy lovely things from the shop: http://tractorgirl.com.au/shoppe

and on Etsy:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/tractorgirl

Become a fan on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/tractorgirlmakes